"With some of the players we have tried to recruit we offered university packages," she said.

"That provides opportunity for athletes to be semi-professional at this stage, and to study and be put in a situation where they have something to back them following sport.

"Hopefully we can be a model team, or a model of how women's sporting teams could perhaps operate in this country and into the future."

Ms Graf says the new arrangements will help the team grow.

"This certainly isn't a situation where the university will be footing the bill for the Capitals' program, we need to be self-sustaining and I believe that inside the university we will continue to grow," she said.

"There's bigger networks here, it will be a different environment and I'm hopeful that the majority of our sponsors will see the Capitals moving forward and want to maintain a linkage with us."

The Capitals will share the Sporting Commons building with the Brumbies rugby union team, the Special Olympics and ACTSPORT once the facility is complete.

University of Canberra Union chief executive Joe Roff will become the Capitals CEO and says the deal is a win for both the team and for basketball more broadly.

"One of the great benefits for elite programs specifically is the co-location between programs," he said.

"To have the Lauren Jacksons walking alongside the David Pococks that will inspire and motivate each program in its own right and so we can learn off each other."